Messi confirms his final match for Argentina at a special venue is approaching

Lionel Messi confirmed that the upcoming game versus Venezuela will mark his final home appearance for Argentina in the World Cup qualifying rounds.

Lionel Messi has officially spoken out about an emotional milestone in his international career playing for the national team: the upcoming match against Venezuela will be the last time he takes the field at home during World Cup qualifiers with Argentina. Although he has not announced his retirement, Messi’s statement leads many to believe that his farewell from the national team is imminent.

“This will be a very, very special match for me because it is my last home qualifier for Argentina. I don’t know if there will be friendlies or more matches after that,” Messi shared after helping Inter Miami reach the Leagues Cup final. He also revealed that his family will be at the stadium to share this moment with him: his wife, children, parents, and siblings.

This is one of the last two matches Argentina has in the qualifiers, before concluding a campaign in which they have already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup. After the Venezuela game at Monumental stadium, they will play an away match against Ecuador on September 9. The 2030 World Cup qualifiers will start in 2027, when Messi will be 40 years old, so it is almost certain he will no longer play home qualifiers by then.

Following Messi’s announcement, a farewell atmosphere began spreading across South America. The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) posted a photo of Messi in Argentina’s jersey with an emotional caption: “The final dance is about to happen.” Meanwhile, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) quickly seized the opportunity to commercialize the event by raising ticket prices for the Venezuela match to a record high: from 100 to 500 dollars.

Additionally, AFA confirmed Argentina will continue playing friendlies in the U.S. this October, including a rematch against Venezuela in Miami and a game against Puerto Rico in Chicago. However, according to Messi, no one can be sure how many more moments fans will see him wear the national team jersey.

Messi has hinted that he plans to end his national team journey after the 2026 World Cup — a tournament Argentina will enter as reigning world champions. Given his contributions over nearly two decades, every remaining match Messi plays for Albiceleste carries a historic and deeply emotional significance for fans.

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